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Posted by
bandrews
on 2007-08-29

PUBLIC:

I have known Jo Tango for 9 years. He is one of the most honest people I have ever met. Jo's integrity is the highest a person can have. Jo backs his entrepreneurs and is always trying to help him. Jo has a great network of contacts to help his entrepreneurs success. He is smart, articulate, hard working and extremely supportive. Jo is a true early stage entrepreneur's best asset. Jo was on a a board of Directors where I was CEO and Jo is top notch. I highly recommend Jo Tango.

Posted by
snickers
on 2007-09-21

PUBLIC:

I emailed Jo with an Executive Summary and, while it wasn't in his area of current interest, he responded immediately and decisively. There was no waffling or waiting to get a firm answer. There would be a lot less time wasted if more VC's were this honest.

Posted by
Mike Murray
on 2009-01-09

PUBLIC:

I cold-eMailed Jo Tango to see if Kepha would be interested in my deal. He took the time to read my Exec Summary and got back to me in a few hours with some questions, and then called me later that evening to tell me they would pass because they did not focus on consumer deals. This all took place in about a 6-hour time span. Is that a first? Most other VCs would just go dark. Jo is a real down-to-earth guy and a breath of fresh air from the VC world.

Posted by
n00bie
on 2007-08-30

PUBLIC:

Unlike other posters I've only met Jo three times - the most recent being a pitch meeting where I was reminded once again that Jo's the Real Deal.

IMHO Kepha Partners fills a big void in the VC landscape - delivering the next wave of entrepreneurs precisely what they need: a solid starting point. I found him to be approachable, direct and as willing to quickly vet an idea conversationally - as he is to confront head-on a weak spot in the model.

What Kepha Partners has set out to do is a much needed departure from traditional firms. Unlike an earlier poster: At the end of the day raising a seed/series A round for my company is a pretty personal thing - I want to get to know the people that may own a piece and talking about politics, business and even the meaning of life _should_ be part of it.

Got to a "yes" with Jo and Eric @ Kepha - and ended up going with them. Fairly solid terms, not too painful of a process (e.g., pitching, diligence). Jo and Eric are quite different from each other but bring distinct insight and value to an early stage company. Jo asks great (and tough) questions and Eric's experience as an operator (enterprise software) has been valuable.

They run a lean/small shop, carrying a relatively large portfolio, so, there are not a lot of spare cycles for roll your sleeves up-type help. For us, this was not a deal breaker.

Posted by
LoA
on 2013-10-06

PUBLIC:

Pitched Jo, he's a positive guy that made it from nothing to something. The fund seems to make only 4 new deals a year, so it's very exclusive. He relatively quick to take a pass, which is better than the funds who can't make a decision.

Posted by
philipph81
on 2010-02-10

PUBLIC:

Pitched Eric at a very early stage in our company. Eric has some great experience, and heard us out. He gave us a quick "no" but connected us to CommonAngels and Chris Sheehan. He seems willing to help. So I'd reccomend at least giving these guys a shot at your company.

Posted by
beowulf
on 2009-12-28

PUBLIC:

Pitched Jo and Eric after socializing them on our deal over the past 18 months. They turned us down pretty quickly, but gave valid reasons for their concerns. Jo has been very consistent in the process, providing quick, professional feedback and honest assessments. A shame we aren't going to do a deal with them, but we'll try to work with them in the future if possible.

Posted by
Dr. Steve
on 2009-12-15

PUBLIC:

Sent a "cold call email" to Kepha to test the waters. The turn-down was courteous & quick which is great for us and for Kepha as neither of us wants to waste any time (it's usually best to "go with what you know"). Here is the turn-down email:

Posted by
orchid1_Scott A.
on 2008-06-04

PUBLIC:

I met with Jo in November on what was then a very early stage idea. He was very generous with his time and very straightforward. He made it clear early on that my company was probably not a fit, at least at its current stage (current then).

He had great insights and feedback and I left very impressed with his knowledge of the internet space.

Did not formally pitch him on a deal, but he is certainly someone I would go back and speak to once we are looking in the VC direction.

Posted by
anonymous
on 2007-11-13

PUBLIC:

I have pitched several projects to Jo over the past few years and found him the only VC who:
a) added value to my proposal with good questions and suggestions or connections even if he himself decided not to invest
b) was up-front and honest with me throughout the entire process. with Jo, you always know where you stand. He doesn't play any games - he's trustworthy and to me as an entrepreneur, that's key.

Posted by
cereal
on 2008-01-17

PUBLIC:

Jo fought hard to get into our first round. It takes moxie and pull to get a first round completed through a big partnership, and you can't be afraid of first stage risks, of which there are plenty. You have to walk the walk. Jo actually rushed from behind, in terms of due diligence, and he impressed me with his ethics, risk tolerance, connections, and zeal. That was when Jo was with Highland.

When he mentioned starting Kepha, I applauded him since I think Boston desparately needs some smaller funds, which can move more aggressively to grab very early/exciting deals. And Jo can do early stage well.

After his investment was completed in my company (a few years ago), we started to see an amazing amount of value at the board level. I thought he would be helpful, but I frankly underestimated the degree. Jo's personal contribution was critical in helping us recruit other board members, find and hire key executives, help me push for measured growth at the board level, help us land more rounds with more top-tier firms, and perhaps most impressive: my company is still using sales leads which were derived from leads he gave us years ago! Those are things he did for us pretty much solo, by himself.

I highly recommend that all entrepreneur CEO's reference check your prospective funders. You are going to be married to your VC's for a while. The feedback I got for Jo was excellent, and painted the picture of a very different kind of VC. He will work very hard for you, and he won't give up. He has also seen things gone very wrong, as all experienced early stagers have also, and he is known for fair and often generous problem resolutions. That is important to me. Things will go wrong. Finally, he is known for not doing anything rash. I value that too. All that feedback resonates with my personal experiences with him.

Finally, Jo is known for supporting people over several companies, and over many years. He can be a powerful booster for you out there on your next deal, even if he doesn't invest in your last one.

He has a big fan club. Ask around. You can't miss them. That says a lot right there.

Posted by
dave
on 2007-08-25

PUBLIC:

Jo Tango operates differently than most VCs. Jo looks for people that could be entrepreneurs and he assists/coaches them during the pre-funded period to be successful in getting their company off the ground. He's also very well connected with many CIO/IT/Business Development people, and his introductions were critical in opening doors at the right time for my company.

Posted by
boba1
on 2007-08-25

PUBLIC:

Talking with Jo, you had better have your act together- he is very smart, and will tell you exactly what he thinks in a fair, no-nonsense way. There is nothing ambiguous about his approach, a refreshing antidote to many of his peers. His ethics are also unimpeachable from my experience (and obviously I am not alone, as he was able to oversubscribe a fund in very little time!)

Posted by
pigratdog
on 2007-08-25

PUBLIC:

Jo is truly unique among the Boston VC community. He is an exceptional person who treats all entrepreneurs with respect - regardless of the quality or stage of their idea. He has a phenomenal network and leverages it for every one of his companies. In my experience working with Jo directly, he loves the process of starting companies and just happens to be a VC. There are few VCs in Boston that have the patience and commitment to work with startups - most have become what Jo calls "Venture Bankers" - but Jo is committed to working on great ideas with the best people and he embraces the uncertainty and ambiguity that makes startups both fun and terrifying.

Posted by
Software Cowboy
on 2007-08-24

PUBLIC:

We have to kiss a lot of froggs to find the prince.

Not so. Getting funded is about taking a complete and unique product to the right buyer. It's our job not theirs.

Jo had read all my stuff when I showed up, knew it cold, send me to one sharp guy, and made his commitment in a week. I was one guy with an idea and too early stage for everyone else. Jo had the expertice to see the value and the guts to act.